Stored-value cards can be authorized and distributed over communications networks. Examples of communications networks include dedicated telephone lines, public telephone links, and the internet or other networked communication. The data of the stored-value cards is related to services and/or products prepaid by the owner or end user of the card. Examples of prepaid services that may be accommodated by the stored-value data include long distance telephone communication, wireless communication, paging and internet-enabled communication services, including wireless web access. Other examples of prepaid services and/or products that may be accommodated by the stored-value card include gift cards, prepaid gas cards, prepaid grocery cards, prepaid entertainment cards, downloadable ring tone cards, downloadable game cards, downloadable music cards that use MP3, MP4, WMV, WAV, or other music formats, any other downloadable software card, customer rewards cards, and any other type of stored-value cards for products, services, or both, that may be prepaid by the owner of the card.
Stored-value cards, such as prepaid long distance phone cards, are generally used in the telephone industry to allow customers to pre-purchase long distance calling time. Each of the cards has a printed identification number. Associated identification information can be magnetically stored therein or printed in a barcode. The identification number is also stored in a file in a database maintained by the card issuer. In the traditional business model, when the cards are sent to the retail location from which they will be sold, the corresponding records in the database are activated, thus allowing the card to be used immediately by a customer. To use the card as a prepaid long distance card, the customer dials a toll free number to access the card issuer's system, enters the identification number, and then makes the desired long-distance call.
These prior art prepaid phone card systems have several disadvantages. For example, since the cards are active while on the shelf in the retail location, the cards may be stolen by a thief and easily used. One way to address some of the drawbacks of prior art prepaid phone card systems would be to install activation terminals unique to the prepaid card issuer. This is referred to as a “closed system.” U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,109 to Stimson et al. discloses such a closed system. In the Stimson system, the cards are not preactivated. Each of the retail locations from which cards are to be sold is provided with a dedicated activation terminal which allows the retail operator to set the value of the card at the time of the sale. The activation terminal connects to the card issuer's system to pass along the value amount and to request activation of the card. Depleted cards can be recharged in the same manner as they are sold. A serious disadvantage of the Stimson system is that it requires single-function dedicated hardware to be installed in each retail location, resulting in a very inflexible and expensive system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,608 to Dorf provides a multifunction card system including a prepaid phone card activating system which allows cards to be purchased in varying amounts and to be recharged without requiring the use of a closed system to handle the transactions. Although Dorf purports to alleviate some of the drawbacks of Stimson by using point-of-sale devices connected to a banking system, it is believed that Dorf fails to verify sources of card activation requests so as to enhance detection of potential security breaches that could ensue in any system accessible to a large number of users.
It would be further desirable to provide a system and method for selectively processing stored-value card requests, such as stored-value card activation, deactivation, and/or value change, based on the communications network over which the request is transmitted. Additionally, it would be further desirable to provide a system and method for selectively processing stored-value card requests based on the source of the request, wherein such request can be received over a variety of communications networks that are available to unauthorized users. It would be further desirable to provide a method of determining a plurality of communications networks and a plurality of sources of activation requests that are authorized to carry or make valid requests, respectively, either prior to or at the same time as such requests are made.